


A Little While Longer

by stubsel



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Canon-Typical Violence, Eating Disorders, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Recovery, it's just training ok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-08 04:09:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12246705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stubsel/pseuds/stubsel
Summary: Prompto’s relationship with food has been troubled ever since his early childhood. First he tried to fill the loneliness of his ever absent parents with fast food, which was also due to the fact that he just didn’t know how to prepare anything else. No one had ever bothered to teach him how to cook before everyone decided to leave him on his own. Needless to say that was a bad idea.





	A Little While Longer

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ennyousai](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ennyousai/gifts).



> Written for the Chocobros Fic Exchange! I thought I'd end up with maybe 8k words but it ran away from me and then editing happened and it got even longer... Welp! I hope It satisfies the prompt. ♥

A Little While Longer 

 

Prompto’s relationship with food has been troubled ever since his early childhood. First he tried to fill the loneliness of his ever absent parents with fast food, which was also due to the fact that he just didn’t know how to prepare anything else. No one had ever bothered to teach him how to cook before everyone decided to leave him on his own. Needless to say that was a bad idea.

He had fought for years to gain an acceptable weight, had done sports, mostly runs, multiple times every day and completely cut out fast food out of his diet. He completely cut most foods out of his diet. He didn’t know anything about eating healthy, about calories, vitamins, anything. So he played it safe, mostly ate vegetables and dry bread, the occasional simple soup, sometimes a bit of fish. He wasn’t aware that he was doing anything wrong.

 

So when he was in school, during lunch break and Noctis actually offered him some of his absolutely amazing smelling food, he wanted to cry; for two reasons:

First, it smelled delicious, looked delicious, probably tasted the same.

Second, he couldn’t tell what it was, couldn’t determine how far he’d have to run to get rid of it again.

 

All he knew right now was that whatever Noctis was bringing to school was absolutely worth more than everything he had in his fridge (which wasn’t a lot) and that he wouldn’t be able to live just one more day without it. Even after asking multiple times, Noctis wouldn’t tell him what it was.

“I know your allergies! It’d just spoil the surprise!” Prompto gave up then, not wanting to make it weird, not wanting to draw too much attention to his eating habits, not wanting to make Noctis worry.

He’d just run a few more kilometres that day. He’d be fine.

Just like predicted it tasted heavenly, like something prepared by a master chef, to which Noctis just raised an eyebrow and grinned. “I’ll let Specs know you said that.”

_______________________________

 

Of course Prompto didn’t always accept Noctis’ food, as much as he wanted to. Some days his friend brought meat and potatoes that just screamed “I’ll make you fat!” and he’d always decline those. Much to Noctis’ delight though he had a tendency to steal his vegetables.

He liked vegetables, they were simple snacks, no calories, lots of vitamins. The problem with vegetables was that fresh ones were rare, at least for him. His wallet didn’t usually allow for such luxury so he savoured every bit of green he could get from Noctis.

Even if he lacked all other nutrients, at least he had vitamins from the fruit and vegetables, stolen from his best friend. He’d be fine. He’d been fine for years now and he didn’t plan to change that.

No one had to know.

Just like he didn’t know, or notice, that Ignis sneaked more vegetables into Noctis’ lunchbox.

_______________________________

 

When Noctis and Prompto finished high school, he fell into a deep dark hole. Not only because he missed his best friend a lot, but because his main source of food was gone with him. Of course he didn’t view Noctis as a source for food, but still. He was the only one who could provide him with fresh vegetables and unburned meals. Or, well, Ignis was.

But none of that really mattered now, because he was done with school, would start a job soon enough (he had managed to jab a freelance gig at a photography studio) and he’d continue his life. Oh, and he’d also show up at the citadel daily to get his ass kicked. Fun times.

A part of him was also glad though, that high school was over. During exams the stress had piled up and up and up and he’d resorted to stress eating until late into the night while cramming for finals. Of course that left quite a bit of gained weight on his stomach, making the stretch marks stand out even more again. He hated looking at himself, but hated himself even more for allowing such weakness.

 

Now that this was over he took extra effort into going to bed early, not wanting to be awake for midnight cravings again. If anything he’d at least get up early enough for a morning run. He’d given up on gaining muscle a long time ago. Somehow that just never worked out.

He couldn’t even remember what ice cream or fries tasted like. He hadn’t eaten them in years, even if Noctis had insisted on some days, when they stayed at the arcade. He’d just buy fries and then give them to Noctis. He never really complained.

_______________________________

 

And then his whole life changed, seemingly overnight.

 

His first training session had been hell. He’d learned about different weapons, stances during battle, when and how to dodge, how to hold himself on the battlefield, how to hold himself to reduce damage during fights.

It was a lot to take in and he remembered almost none of it. All the information had his head swimming, feeling dizzy and nauseous. He almost keeled over from exhaustion at the end of the session.

 

But he didn’t.

_______________________________  


Eventually it became harder to keep his struggles from his friends. He tried, gods did he try to hide it. They weren’t stupid though. Of course not. Sometimes they would glance at him, give him those strange looks laced with worry. He hated every second of it.

Sometimes the lack of food, lack of nutrients had him dizzy, nauseous and made his vision blurry but he kept going. He always did. He always ended up sprawled on the floor before he even had the chance to realize that someone was aiming at him. Those were the worst moments, feeling weak and useless. He should be able to endure it, to make it through and to still be valuable.

Cor would shake his head and send him to the showers, ending their training for the day.

One time though, Cor himself had taken it upon him to spar. He’d always dreamed of sparring with The Immortal. Of course he had to learn that day that his title was well deserved. He didn’t even want to think about the fact that Cor was going easy on him, just wanted to show him how to dodge properly, just wanted to help him, but Prompto had been too slow. Everything had been kind of slow that day, he realized. Gods he needed to eat something. Maybe an energy bar and some juice and he’d be good to go.

 

He’d realized way later though that someone was screaming in pain when Cor’s practice sword had hit his side in an unprotected, undodged hit. When Noctis came running to his side, followed by Gladio and Ignis, he’d realized that the one screaming was himself and he snapped his mouth shut, grunting in pain and falling to the floor, clutching his side.

Damn this hurt. But he couldn’t let the others know so he pressed his lips together, blinked a few tears away and faced his friends with a strained fake smile.

“Shit, that was a good hit. Didn’t even see it coming.” He wanted to thank Cor for not going as easy on him as usually but the words got stuck somewhere in his throat. He swallowed and took a shaky breath.

Cor looked at him with a frown but gently tugged him up, back to his feet. It hurt. It hurt so much but Prompto just kept his mouth shut, not allowing himself to make them worry. In all honesty, he just wanted to go home, flop down on his couch and sleep. He could easily just sleep this off, couldn’t he?

“Training’s over.” Cor had a stern tone to his voice, one that didn’t allow any arguing. They’d just started, like, ten minutes ago. His training was far from over, but he didn’t dare argue with the marshal, so he bit his tongue.

As Cor left the room, Noctis tugged him into the locker room and pushed him down on one of the benches. It was quiet, way outside of the usual training hours, so Noctis started with his interrogation right away.

 

“Are you okay?”

“Shit, that looked painful.”

“I should get you a potion.”

“You should take a break, Prom.”

“It’s okay to rest, we’re not in a hurry.”

“I’ll tell Cor to take things slower next time.”

 

He, honestly, wanted to scream, wanted to cry, to tell Noct that he was fine, that he didn’t need a break, that he could keep going. All he did though, was nod along, hand still pressed to his side, a dull ache spreading with every breath he took. He knew that he was probably already sporting an ugly bruise, but that was nothing compared to what he knew would follow, as he spotted Ignis standing in the doorframe. He wore an unreadable expression as he stood and watched the scene, investigating the situation. When he reached Prompto’s face he frowned.

“Perhaps a short vacation would be best advised in your current state, Prompto.” With long confident steps Ignis entered the room, closing the door after him and walking over to where he was still sitting, Noctis crouching in front of him. Apparently Gladio had something else to do, but he didn’t mind.

“I’m okay, Iggy, really, I promise. You don’t need to---” He didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence. Ignis caught one of his hands as he gestured wildly, wanting to show everyone present just how okay he was. He was good, perfectly fine.

“This wasn’t a suggestion.” Ignis let got of Prompto’s hand again and it sunk back down to the other’s lap. Prompto looked down, feeling shame rise in himself and wanting to curl up under a blanket and disappear.

“Sorry.”

Ignis pulled a chair closer to them to sit down on Prompto’s other side.

“You need not apologize. The Marshal can be a bit… rough.”

 

But that wasn’t what he meant, not at all. He wanted to tell them, desperately wanted to let them know what was wrong, that he wasn’t just apologizing for getting hurt, for being distracted, but just for being who he was as a whole. There were so many things wrong with him and he couldn’t even begin to apologize.

Instead of venting, instead of letting them know, he curled up his hands into fists, opening and closing them to ground himself on the motion as he struggled for words, struggled with his composure. He didn’t know what to do.

Of course his side still hurt with every godsdamned breath he took, it wasn’t as bad as before, just a dull ache spreading over his ribs, but enough to let him know that he wouldn’t be moving freely anytime soon. Weirdly enough, he couldn’t tell if all pain was from the hit or maybe also due to hunger. He couldn’t tell but he didn’t care all that much either.

“The last attack you suffered from the Marshal did look rather painful.” Ignis didn’t mention how he’d toppled over, knees to the ground and had screamed in pain. He was all business, like always, but there was something else in his eyes too, something that looked almost like he cared about Prompto.

Exactly as he finished that thought, he almost physically flinched, wanting to scold himself for thinking that way of Ignis. Of course he cared, just not in the same way as Noctis or Gladio. Noctis showed it in casual affection, always casually touching and spending time together. Gladio was a bit of tough love but he was a shoulder to lean on and he gave the best advice.

Ignis on the other hand always seemed more distanced, casual but always all business, taking care of everyone from afar but never making them feel like they were unwelcome. It was a more grown up kind of caring, where he didn’t have to say a word to show how much he loved them.

 

“Would you be alright with me taking a closer look at your injury?”

Prompto was stunned, completely taken aback at the fact that Ignis was actually _asking_ him for permission. Usually people would just go ahead and prod at him, pinching and pushing at worn muscles and bruises. No one ever _asked_ him if it was okay. After all, he was trained to take injuries that were a lot worse than this, no time for pleasantries and personal boundaries.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Yeah, sure.” Eager to satisfy, he began to pull up his shirt even before he had finished talking, stuttering his reply. As he reached his waistband though, he halted, stopped dead in his motions. For a second he had completely forgotten about the countless marks and ugly stripes littering his body, living proof of his past. Awkwardly, he’s staring at the other two before slowly lowering his shirt again.

“Perhaps you’re hurt more badly than I had initially assumed. Would you like me to assist you?” Ignis gentle voice almost made Prompto tear up because no, no this wasn’t the problem. He could’ve easily taken off his clothes but he didn’t want to.

Sure, he hurt pretty much all over and he was still somewhat tired from his early morning run and the shift at the photostudio and his stomach was painfully twisting in hunger. But the pain was certainly not the reason for him to want to keep his shirt down, to want to keep their eyes off of his definitely already discoloured ribs.

 

“No, it’s just--” He was struggling for words to explain what was wrong, to tell them what was going on and he wanted to talk about it. A part of him really did, but another part wanted to just keep going like this. They didn’t really have to know, did they?

“Just gimme a potion and I’m good to go.” He tried his luck with a weak smile, not quite reaching his eyes and probably not fooling anyone. Ignis’ frown deepened.

“Would you feel better if you kept your shirt on?” Ignis was back to the calm collected kind of caring and the way that he somehow knew exactly what to say made Prompto feel warm and fuzzy inside. He nodded in response, keeping his eyes low and trained to the floor.

“Alright, if you could please lift your arms for me then? So I can examine your side.”

He did as he was told, only wincing slightly due to the stretch of lifting his arms. Come on, Cor hadn’t even hit him that hard.

“I will be touching your injury now, is that alright?” Prompto is confused with how hesitant Ignis was being but Ignis didn’t move before Prompto gave his ok, so he nodded.

Prompto let out a quiet hiss when Ignis’ hands connected with his ribs and wanted to shift away, but he stayed right where he was. Damn, this really hurt.

Ignis was humming in thought, not yet telling them if Prompto would die or not. He sure felt like he was dying. The more likely option though, was that he was being overdramatic. That didn’t make the pain any less though.

Sooner than he would have anticipated, Ignis drew his hands away, leaning back again and putting a bit of space again, sitting just at the edge of Prompto’s comfort zone. He put his hands back down again.

“Do you have spare clothing with you?”

“Of course.” He wouldn’t dream of fighting The Immortal in his usual boots and jeans, not that he was much better in sneakers and sweatpants though. At least like this, he didn’t ruin his ‘good’ outfits. Ignis nodded, somehow pleased with the answer.

“Alright, You will get a potion, that should take care of the worst of the damage. It doesn’t seem like anything is broken, you’re most likely developing some bruising though so please do not be concerned when you see yourself in a mirror. I suggest you take it easy for a few days, Prompto. No one wants you to get hurt.” The frown on his face finally eased into a smile, a genuine real smile, Ignis was smiling! It was almost weird for Prompto to see the usually so distant advisor smiling at him. Maybe it was pity?

 

Before he could lose himself to his ugly thoughts though, Ignis gently pushed a small vial into his hands, urging him to drink it. Without hesitation, Prompto complied and immediately felt the effects settle in. Slowly, the pain began ebbing away and he was finally being able to breathe freely again. He hadn’t even realized the tension in his muscles until he was finally able to relax again. It just seemed that Ignis had a slightly different plan, as he got up and pulled Prompto with him. Both of them seemed to have completely ignored Noctis at this point.

“How about you go and take a shower and join us for dinner afterwards?”

Shit. He wanted to decline, had the response ready on his lips already but just as he was about to actually open his mouth and say it, he caught a glance of Noctis.

Noctis was basically beaming at him, begging him to agree with almost sparkling eyes. He seemed to be bouncing in his seat, which previously had been next to Prompto if Ignis hadn’t pulled him up to stand between them.

He didn’t want to go, of course not, and that had nothing to do with Ignis’ cooking (because he knew that was heavenly). He’d die for anything Ignis would come up with.

“I don’t want to burden you--” He was trying to argue, really, but both Noctis and Ignis gave him a look that left no room for arguments. Switching looks between both Noctis and Ignis, he eventually gave up and sighed in defeat.

“Okay. But only because I know how sulky our dearest prince can be.” He earned a halfhearted slap to the arm and a genuine smile from Ignis and then was sent to the locker room, where he finally took his well deserved shower.

_______________________________

 

The drive to Noctis’ apartment was quiet, for the most part. The silence only interrupted by some upbeat music leaving the radio. Prompto still couldn’t help but stare at the passing Neighborhood. Even after all these years and countless visits, he still felt out of place. The district where he lived just couldn’t compare. He wasn’t used to clean or shiny. He was used to people running around, barely getting by, while Noctis’ neighborhood looked like nothing even lived there, like it was just built to take pictures of. It was insane. No matter how he dressed, even if Noctis just walked around in sweatpants and a dirty shirt, he still looked like the rich kid, like he belonged there. Prompto didn’t.

And then there was Ignis. Ignis, who always looked like every second of his life might as well be an important business to run, and, in a sense that was probably right. Taking care that the crown prince of Lucis didn’t somehow kill himself in his stupidity might just be one of the most important jobs in the entire country.

And then there was Prompto himself. Chocobo obsessed, freelance photographer, living from paycheck to paycheck, counting maybe one and a half friends on a good day. Overall perhaps the most common commoner to ever common. Except for his bright blond hair separating him from the rest of the population, he might just be the most ordinary guy to walk the grounds of Insomnia.

 

He was just lucky.

 

Just like he was now lucky enough to be sitting in this car, Ignis driving them to Noct’s apartment, which might be the most expensive one in all of Insomnia, where he had to pretend to be normal, where he would be expected to eat a dinner that was worth more than one paycheck. Probably.

Just the thought alone, of having to eat, in front of people, made his stomach twist almost painfully. Maybe that was just the hunger though. When had he even last had an entire meal? Must’ve been a while. He remembers skipping breakfast in the morning, maybe he’d also skipped dinner the day before. Maybe. Living with one proper meal each day had worked out just fine so far? People made skipping meals a much too big deal. It was fine. Sure, sometimes it was hard, especially now that he had daily training with The Immortal and that kind of sucked but he was fine.

He knew, of course, that he had to offer his body something it could burn, food and calories, something to keep him going. But just the threat of gaining weight, of increasing the number of ugly stripes marking his body made him feel sick.

But he was stuck with no way out.

He couldn’t back out now. Noct had been so happy to bring him over again, since it’s been a while, and Ignis himself had invited him. Of course Noctis had no clue that Ignis was probably just worried about Prompto. He was so thin, almost sickly looking and pale. Ignis must’ve been able to feel the ridges between his ribs even through the fabric of his shirt and the swelling of a slightly fractured rib. He must’ve known in that moment that Prompto was struggling.

_______________________________

 

Dinner was… awkward, to put it simple. Prompto had been constantly shifting awkwardly in his seat, casting glances between Ignis, Noctis and the plate sitting in front of him. The plate, or rather the food, seemed to be staring back at him, making fun of him.

“Hearty Cutlet on Rice”, so he had been told. And it certainly looked hearty. Of course it tasted amazing, just like anything else Ignis created. It was some kind of bird, low fat meat, but Prompto still didn’t trust it and shied away after a few bites and stuck to the rice. Rice was safe, he knew how far to run for rice.

His traitorous stomach almost gave him away with an appreciative growl. He truly hadn’t given it anything to work with for a while. Still, he chuckled slightly, cheeks reddening in embarrassment as he looked up and saw the other two staring at him.

 

“It’s… Really good.” Which was definitely the understatement of the year, maybe even the century. It was the best thing he’d gotten to eat since… since he’d left high school. Since he didn’t have the chance to steal food from Noctis anymore.

“Noctis told me that you’ve taken quite a liking to griffon a few years ago.”

So that’s what that bird was.

But Prompto just felt bad, because apparently Noctis had snitched on him all these years and had told Ignis about all the food stealing, but most importantly that he had a _taste_ . Even worse, Iggy had gone out of his way to prepare food he knew Prompto would enjoy, _gods did he enjoy it_ , but Prompto still couldn’t help it and take the delicious food apart with his fork instead of eating it.

Ignis seemed to have noticed his disinterest in food.

“I can prepare something else for you, if I was mistaken?”

Gods, no. He wasn’t wrong, so far from it. “No, this is amazing.” Prompto paused for a second, looking down at his plate that now resembled a battlefield. “I’m just not very hungry right now. Sorry.” He’s lying and he’s bad at it, has always been a horrible liar and even though, he was usually able to fool Noctis, Ignis must have surely caught on to that. There was no way he wouldn’t be hungry after the training with Cor.

“Ah, of course.” Ignis offers him one of those calming smiles again. “Do not fret, Prompto. It is quite alright.” Ignis knew that he was lying but he didn’t mention it, why didn’t he say anything, why didn’t he just get mad at Prompto?

“You see, his Highness is quite the picky eater himself, it really is no trouble for me.”

Noctis perked up to that, scowling at his advisor before pointing his fork at the other.

“I told you not to call me that.” But Ignis didn’t dignify him with a response.

The careless banter made Prompto feel relaxed, made the tension leave his stiff muscles. Right. Noctis had always been a notoriously picky eater. Prompto still felt bad about the wasted food though. That was exactly why he rarely prepared anything for himself, he’d just end up throwing it out anyway. Just that bit of griffon must have been worth more than his monthly income. Even if it wasn’t true, at least it felt like it. Could griffon be this expensive? He didn’t know how the prices for such quality food worked. Now he didn’t only feel bad for wasting food, but also wasting money.

He could feel his stomach twist in anxiety again.

“Sorry”, he said again before he could stop himself. The frown from earlier was back on Ignis’ face again and even Noctis was wearing the beginnings of worry on his face.

“It’s cool, Prom, we can raid the snack cupboard later.” He tried to be reassuring, seemed to be excited even, but he couldn’t know that this was the exact opposite of what would help Prompto.

Ignis offered nothing but a scowl for Noctis. “Perhaps a healthier snack would be in order, if Prompto doesn’t feel like eating right now.” Ignis was trying his best to be considerate, to accommodate for Prompto’s needs. Prompto liked being cared for, to be cared about, but somehow, at the same time, he hated it.

“I think I’ll just go home for the night”, he mumbled and he knew the others must have barely understood him but it didn’t matter. He was already on his feet, hastily slipped on his shoes and disappeared through the door before anyone could stop him.

Great.

That definitely wouldn’t bring any questions the next day, right?

Wrong.

_______________________________

 

Not wanting to raise any more suspicions than he already had, Prompto decided to show up at training like usual. Of course by now he had completely forgotten about his forced vacation as his mind was already occupied with his panicked escape the day before.

Prompto was convinced that they would pry, would ask him questions he didn’t want to answer, couldn’t answer.

 

Passing through security had become a bit easier and less stressful in the past few weeks. The guards recognized his face and just waved him though, since they knew he had a permanent visitor’s permit. So he slowly made his way to the trainings rooms, passing a few that definitely sounded like they were occupied, before he quite literally ran into Gladio. The force would’ve sent him sprawled to the floor if it wasn’t for the other to grab his arm and stop him from actually falling.

“You’re… not supposed to be here.” Gladio waited until Prompto was steady on his feet again before he let go. Lingering in case Prompto lost his footing again.

“Gee, glad to see you too, big guy.” Prompto straightened his shirt, then rubbed his arm where Gladio had held him and averted his gaze to the floor.

“You know what I mean. I saw yesterday’s training - sorry I couldn’t stay around by the way, dad had called me to important business stuff - but you’re supposed to rest. Iggy told me you were in timeout for _at least_ a week.” Gladio was leaning down slightly to catch a glimpse of Prompto’s face but he kept his eyes glued to the ground, still absentmindedly rubbing his arm.

Gladio seemed to have realized that he wasn’t getting an answer out of the smaller boy, so he sighed in defeat and slung one heavy arm around Prompto’’s shoulders instead.

“I’m free for a while, let’s hang out.” Before Prompto got a chance to agree or disagree, he was already being gently tugged along at his sleeve. He was walking behind Gladio, trying to keep up while also trying to remember the various turns they were taking. After the maybe fourth or fifth left turn he was sure he would never find the way back on his own. However, eventually he recognized the hallway leading up to the kitchen.

“Gladio, what are we doing here? I already ate lunch.” A lie but he really didn’t feel like eating anything. Maybe Gladio was planning else though? Or maybe Ignis had talked about the failed dinner. Maybe Ignis had asked the others to get food inside of Prompto. No, Ignis wouldn’t do that, but Prompto couldn’t be sure so every step towards the dreaded kitchen made his stomach sink lower and lower.

“Iggy made pastries and we”, he pointed first at himself and then at Prompto, “are going to steal some of them.”

The feeling of dread had gotten worse with every word that left Gladio’s mouth. This was a bad plan, the worst idea he’d ever had. This was just going to be the absolute worst.

“Iggy is gonna kill us when he finds out.” Prompto was trying to reason with Gladio. He was somehow looking for a way out of this situation. Maybe if he tried hard enough he could remember the different turns they took and attempt an escape. He could get a headstart and then hide somewhere. Or, if nothing of that worked, he could help Gladio with stealing the pastries and then just shove all of them at him.

“He’s not gonna find out if we’re careful enough.” Gladio was still grinning, unaware of Prompto’s discomfort.

“Careful enough of what?”

 

Both, Prompto and Gladio were turning around at the speed of light, almost knocking eachother over in the process, just to find Ignis standing behind them. Ignis gifted them both with the most disapproving look he could muster.

“His idea”, Gladio said before taking off in a sprint, back in the direction of the training rooms. At least Prompto thought that might be the direction. He could end up anywhere and now that Gladio had left Prompto alone, he was really hoping that Ignis wouldn’t abandon him too. Otherwise he’d most likely die somewhere in the maze that was the citadel. For now, he had to deal with a maybe angry Ignis though.

“I swear it wasn’t my idea, Iggy, listen, I promise--” but before he could lose himself in stuttered explanations and apologies, Ignis raised his hand and gestured for him to stop talking.

“I am well aware that Gladio wasn’t saying the truth, however”, and he somehow managed an even more intense glare, “I would like to know what you are doing here, when you have been advised to rest.”

Prompto shrunk in on himself, nervously playing with the hem of his shirt and looking anywhere but at the advisor. He didn’t exactly know how to answer. He’d just wanted his friends to think he was normal, that he could handle the training on top of work, that he was okay. But every word at the tip of his tongue, would’ve just left more questions.

“I felt great this morning so I thought I’d come and say hi?” He was still a terrible liar and Ignis must’ve seen right through it. The excuse was weak, even to his ears, especially when he was carrying the bag with his spare set of clothes. Especially when he still felt a twinge of pain whenever he moved in a slightly wrong way. Especially when his side still looked like an expressionist painting done in purple fingerpaint.

But Ignis only nodded, stern gaze already softening around the edges until it dissolved into a gentle smile. Reassuring even.

“Would you care to join us for dinner again today then?”

_______________________________

 

By now their daily dinners had almost become some sort of ritual. Every day after training Prompto would join Ignis and Noctis for their way home and eat his one proper meal for the day. He was still picking at it, leaving more on the plate than he actually ate, but he stole Noctis vegetables, which made Ignis scowl at the both of them.

The meals were always primarily prepared for Noctis and Prompto was grateful for that because it made him feel like less of a burden to them. Eventually though he noticed slight changes in Noctis’ diet. He focused so much on what he ate it was impossible for him not to notice that Ignis prepared simpler meals whenever he expected Prompto to join them. Prompto did always recognize the ingredients on his plate (in this case Dualhorn steak and Leiden pepper) so he at least was able to say how many calories he’d intake, how much he could eat before he had to feel bad about it.

He had only limited knowledge about calories and the different values of different foods so he was mostly guessing, which lead to him still avoiding meats instead of actually eating them. Soon he found it to be his favourite food though, at least when prepared by Ignis. He could allow himself some indulgence every now and then, right?

Sometimes Ignis would even take his time and go out of his way to explain the different components to Prompto, why they were important and how they made up the meal. He always made sure to emphasize why they were healthy instead of harming. Prompto was sure that he was just trying to get Noctis to eat his vegetables but that never worked. It eased some of Prompto’s worries though, made him hate himself not quite as much when he ate just a bit more than he’d usually allow himself. Prompto didn’t notice the smile on Ignis face, that showed that contrary to Prompto’s belief, his plan was working.

_______________________________

 

The first time Prompto had actually managed to finish an entire plate, he’d almost cried. He had really wanted to cry but that would’ve been just silly. Crying over finishing a plate of curry soup? Ridiculous.

 

Later that night he helped Ignis to do the dishes. It was only fair that he did _something_ in return to being fed every day, even if Ignis tried to disagree. He could feel the advisor’s gaze lingering on him but every time he glanced to his side Ignis was just staring at the dishes in concentration. It was probably just his nervousness playing tricks on him, making him imagine things.

“As tempting as it may be to see you enjoy yourself as much again, I can’t possibly make green curry soup for the rest of our lives.”

Prompto almost dropped the dish he was holding before he slowly looked at Ignis. The other was grinning smugly, never faltering in his actions. So, this had been a joke?

“I’m… not asking you to”, he finally mumbled, resuming his task of drying and putting away plates and cutlery.

“I know”, Ignis paused, frowning slightly as he put down the last plate and let the water run out of the sink. “But i want you to enjoy yourself.”

It was almost weird for Prompto to hear Ignis be this straightforward. Usually, with Ignis’ refined speech, he felt separated, like Ignis was so much older, so much more mature. Now that he seemed to let all of that drop, it was a lot easier to be around him though; a lot less pressuring. Maybe that was Ignis’ way of babytalk, of making himself be as unthreatening as possible. Prompto didn’t know if he should be flattered or insulted.

He didn’t know what to reply to that so he kept his gaze down, glued to the cutlery he mechanically dried off and put away.

Ignis let out a quiet sigh, took a towel and began to clean up the sink.

“Perhaps you would like to join me in preparing tomorrow’s dinner?”

 

Even after all these weeks Prompto still had a hard time accepting the invitations. Every day he was asked again if he would join them for dinner and Noct had often said that the invitation _always_ stood but Prompto never showed up if he wasn’t explicitly told to. Some part of him still thought it was a trap, that everyone would turn on him, even though he knew that wouldn’t happen. A part of him just wanted to ignore the invitations, to just leave training, go home and call it a day.

But he wanted this, gods did he want this. Prompto enjoyed their company way too much to just give it up. Both Ignis and Noctis made him feel welcome, like he belonged, like it was okay to not finish the whole meal. Ignis offered him the leftovers in a plastic box whenever he got up to leave but Prompto would always decline. He’d just throw it away anyway. Or it’d spoil before he got the chance to eat it.

“Yeah, sure”, he said before he could change his mind. “I’m a hopeless case though, you don’t really want me in a kitchen.” He finished with an awkward quiet laugh before starting to dry the last few plates.

Ignis nodded but didn’t comment otherwise. Instead he took a second towel and joined Prompto to help him finish sooner.

_______________________________

 

Helping Ignis to prepare dinner was almost therapeutic. There was just something calming about knowing the different ingredients and exactly how they were prepared. Sometimes Ignis would little hints and suggestions on how to make it simpler, how to replace some materials with a more common version and how to turn it into a small meal just for one person. Ignis always made sure to point out that it was healthy and filling for a long time. Prompto had never been more grateful.

Cooking together turned out to be the one thing Prompto and Ignis could bond over, much to Noctis’ annoyance. Both Prompto and Ignis preferred to eat healthy meals with tons of fruit and vegetables. But what no one knew was that Prompto was finally learning to take care of himself. He finished meals, took leftovers home and learned how to cook one of the other meal himself. Small steps.

The only recipe he refused to learn was the green curry soup, even though it was his favourite. “I wouldn’t be able to make it like you anyway”, Prompto would always argue and eventually, Ignis gave up on wanting to teach him. Whenever Prompto tried his own hand at recreating the recipe, even under Ignis’ instructions, it always turned out slightly different. Besides, the food was generally better when it was prepared _for_ him rather than _by_ him. Especially if Ignis was cooking, but he kept that to himself.

Noctis soon learned to hate their new bonding moments. They’d made it a habit to discuss the different ingredients beforehand, values and how else they could be prepared. Most items on the list were _vegetables_.

“They’re healthy, easy to make and don’t contain unnecessary fat”, Ignis would argue. “They’re also filling and will last you a while through the day”, Prompto would add.

Noctis would give up eventually, instead just leaving everything green and healthy on his plate, which Prompto would then gladly steal from him.

Prompto had learned a lot during those past weeks (especially how telling Gladio not to hold back during training was a bad idea), like how to properly chop vegetables, how to tell if meat was ready or not and how to efficiently arrange his workplace so he’d be done as fast as possible with as little effort as possible. After all, cooking didn’t seem so hard anymore.

Soon he had to learn that cooking just for himself wasn’t nearly as much fun though. At first he’d just thought it was the company itself, but when Noctis stayed at his place for the weekend, Prompto still found himself missing something. He couldn’t tell what it was.

_______________________________

 

The days began blurring together. Between training, his freelance job and the ever absent parents, he didn’t have much time to think about anything else. He Prompto had increased the amount of shifts he took at the photography studio because he really needed the extra money, now that he actually spent it on food (and camera equipment and software and video games and--).

Spare time was rare and he had to pass up the daily dinner more often than he’d like to. He needed sleep, of course, but he missed spending time with his friends. Sitting alone at the too big table felt so very lonely. But there was something else tugging in his chest too, something he didn’t have a name for. Whenever that feeling flared up he threw himself headfirst into work.

 

Until Noctis had enough of his excuses.

 

“Noct, it’s a job! I have to go!” But Noctis didn’t want to hear any of it. Instead he called Prompto’s manager and used his princely authority to inform them that he was stealing their best photographer for the rest of the day. Usually Noctis wasn’t one to abuse his status but apparently drastic times had called for drastic measures.

“I don’t think I can deal with Iggy on my own any longer”, Noctis whined as he walked Prompto back to his place because he had failed to inform his friend of his plans. For once they were even taking public transport since Noctis had left the car at his place and Ignis was apparently already busy doing whatever.

“What do you mean?” Just hearing Ignis’ name made Prompto’s heart skip a beat. Weird. Was he nervous to see him again? They had gotten along so well before, there was no reason to be nervous. But they hadn’t seen eachother in a long time. Maybe Ignis would be mad at him because he’d ditched them so many times?

“Nothing”, Noctis shrugs it off as if it were nothing while Prompto’s thoughts continue to race for the worst possible solution. No matter what he came up with, Noct’s expression didn’t leave much room for arguing anyway. He wouldn’t be able to avoid the inevitable.

“I know you’re free tonight so I’m not taking no for an answer. We’ll go after training, like always.” Noctis was grinning the whole time, blissfully unaware of Prompto’s worries. Prompto however felt dread settle in his stomach and fought the urge to run away and lock himself up. Some things never changed.

“Okay”, he said instead of all the things he wanted to say. Maybe it wouldn’t be as bad as he thought. Maybe he’d be okay.

But Prompto wasn’t able to calm his thoughts for the rest of the day, almost talked himself into a panic attack if it wasn’t for his phone ringing and pulling him out of his own mind as he steps out of the shower. Of course he’d shower again after training and he could’ve saved the money for hot water but if nothing else, at least it helped ease the tension in his tired muscles.

Stepping out, he lazily wrapped a towel around his waist and draped another one over his head to catch the falling water from his wet hair. Then he walked across the spacious living room, stepping over discarded clothing along the way, to where his phone was lying.

Noctis.

Another wave of nausea settled in Prompto’s stomach as he stared at the screen. Before he can put the phone down again and ignore it for the rest of the day though, he swipes his thumb across the screen and lifts the shaking hand to his ear.

 

“Hey, what’s up?” He forces himself to sound calm but it still sounded weird to him. Noctis didn’t seem to notice. Maybe he blamed it on the shitty phone?

_“Nothing much. Specs wants to know what you wanna eat.”_

Weird. Maybe Ignis wasn’t mad at hm after all? But Prompto was still afraid, his heart hammering against his chest like a hummingbird.

“You know I’m not picky, I don’t really care.”

_“I know but he insisted I call you and ask, so please, just say anything that doesn’t involve vegetables.”_

“Daggerquill rice?” He liked daggerquill and he liked rice and Ignis would always add Leiden Pepper, which made it especially good. It was one of his favourites. Noct could just pick out the pepper if he wanted to.

_“Little amount of vegetables but still royally approved. So I’ll tell him that then?”_

“Yeah, sure, but only if it doesn’t cause too much work for him.”

_“You know Specs, he likes work.”_ Prompto laughs awkwardly.

“Yeah, you’re right.” A short pause follows. “So, see you at training?”

_“You bet. I’m gonna kick your butt!”_

“Oh am I finally allowed to hit his Highness?”

_“I’ll make sure you don’t.”_

 

They both laughed, said their goodbyes and then continued with what they were doing before. In Prompto’s case that is getting dressed and ready to beat the royal butt into the next century.

_______________________________  


He did not kick the royal butt into the next century. In fact, it was probably the other way around. Sure, he landed a few good hits here and there, making Gladio and even Ignis hum in approval but Cor still had quite a few things to lecture him about.

 

“Your stance is all wrong.”

“Don’t leave your back open like that.”

“You have feet. Use them.”

 

Apparently, yelling about how warping was definitely cheating, didn’t get him any bonus points. “If you can still whine about fairness, you’re not fighting hard enough.” But he was trying, really, honestly. But it wasn’t enough for for a short agonizing moment he wondered if he’d ever be enough.

Cor was only calling for a break when Prompto fell painfully to the floor, pinned down by Noctis sitting on top of him, training sword next to his head. He hurt all over. Blocking with his bare arms had been a stupid idea. He was sure he’d be covered in bruises later on but for just that he didn’t want to use a potion. That’d just be a waste. It wasn’t like he’d fractured a rib again. He could just walk it off.

“Where’s the ass kicking you promised?” Prompto groaned in reply, only partially due to the weight on his chest, keeping him pinned painfully on the floor.

“You’re cheating.” Noctis was laughing and playfully ruffling Prompto’s hair before he finally got up from Prompto’s chest. Prompto gratefully filled his lungs back up with air. He hadn’t even realized how hard breathing had been with Noctis sitting on top of him.

Gladio and Ignis were walking over to them. Gladio gave Noct a hard pat on the back and ruffled his hair, complimenting him on “beating up the chocobutt”. Ignis leaned down over Prompto, who was still lying on the floor and catching his breath, and extended a hand helping him up into a sitting position. Prompto’s hand tingled with the contact.

“You have improved quite a lot”, Ignis said with a smile as he let go. Was that Ignis complimenting him? That was definitely Ignis complimenting him. This didn’t happen very often, at least not this blatantly, so Prompto had learned to cherish it every time he recognized it. Like right now.

He let out an airy laugh, still feeling a bit winded. “Doesn’t really feel like it.” Ignis responded with a slight frown, laced by a gentle smile. He gave Prompto a look that looked oddly like concern, something Prompto hadn’t seen before.

“You don’t give yourself enough credit, Prompto.”

After a few more moments Ignis offers him his hand again, pulling him back up to his feet before putting a hand on Prompto’s shoulder, offering wordless encouragement. Prompto’s knees feel weak but he couldn’t tell if it was from running in circles for hours, trying not to get hit by Noctis, or maybe something else. Whatever it was, now he felt more determined than ever to win against Noctis at least _once_.

 

He didn’t beat Noctis a single time. In fact he lost five more times and the last one ended in a draw before Cor finally called it quits when they were both exhausted, sweating and struggling for air. They were sure to pass out if they kept this up.

This time it was Prompto’s turn to receive one of Gladio’s bone crushing pats on the back which almost send him back to the floor again. Almost. Prompto caught himself before he could fully stumble over his own feet. Gladio still held his arm to keep him steady as he laughed his typical loud Gladio laugh.

“Not bad, kid. You almost had him!” Prompto bathed in the compliments, soaked them up like a sponge and stored the feeling away for darker times that were sure to come. For now he felt okay, the anxiety of the following dinner pushed away to the back of his head, not yet to return. He waved at the comment, grinning wide and laughing as he made his way to the shower on wobbly legs.

 

The hot water did wonders for his nerves. He was doing good, he was okay, everything would be fine. He just had to keep telling this to himself. Ignis didn’t seem to be mad at him but Ignis never seemed to be mad at _anyone_ , he just knew how to hide it well. Prompto hadn’t meant to disappoint Ignis, or Noctis, but he also loved his job, loved getting paid to do what he loved most. Somehow he’d forgotten everything around it. The more time he spent thinking about it, the worse he felt. It hadn’t been fair to abandon the others like this.

At the same time he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was somehow also trying to avoid Ignis. It was a weird thought but whenever Ignis was around, Prompto would become nervous. His hands would start shaking and sweating and he’d stammer his words, unable to form coherent sentences. It seemed like Ignis worsened his anxiety, or triggered it in the first place, but Prompto couldn’t seem to mind? It was confusing. Prompto enjoyed being around Ignis, even if he felt like he might die at any given moment. It was truly, absolutely, utterly ridiculous.

Prompto let the hot water run over his shoulders just a little while longer, until his skin turned red and the hot stream became almost painful. He realized that he’d never thanked Ignis for his patience. Maybe that was why Ignis was mad at him? Gods, he must have seemed so selfish.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Prompto finally turned off the water and stepped outside the shower into the cool bathroom. No one else was around. Noctis always favoured his own shower instead of the one in the training room. If he could he’d do the same.

After a while he’d toweled himself dry, gotten dressed and examined himself in the mirror. His hair was flat against his head, bangs sticking to his face. He ruffled it with the towel, leaving it standing up in various directions. After a few attempts of taming it he decided to give up, pulled on a jacket and left with his bag slung over his shoulder.

 

He wasn’t ready for dinner. At all.

It didn’t take long for Ignis to point out that he didn’t look well. Noctis joined him and hurried to apologize for earlier. He hadn’t meant to go so hard on Prompto but Prompto assured both of them that he was fine. He also threatened Noctis that if he ever went easy on him he’d never help him out in Kings Knight again. Ever.

Prompto had to admit that he looked a bit paler than usual and he was fidgeting in his chair again but thankfully the other two let the topic drop. Seemed like they didn’t want to cause him any more discomfort. Prompto just had to keep telling himself that it was normal to be nervous, it’d just been a while since he last visited Noctis.

When he got up to help Ignis prepare dinner, he was sent back to the living room to play games with Noct. Prompto didn’t want to admit that being sent away by Ignis left a sharp tug in his chest. A dull pain, almost numbing, spreading outwards from his chest.

Shaking his head like he was trying to shake off the feeling as he sat down next to Noctis. Obviously he was struggling with a particularly hard level and it was a welcome distraction when he offered the controller to Prompto who gladly took it and finished the level for Noctis. At least he was better than Noct at video games.

 

The rest of the evening went by fairly quiet. They sat in silence for the most part as each of them finished their dinner. Prompto was falling back into old habits of barely touching his food. Something heavy seemed to have settled in his stomach, killing his apetite.

“Sorry, Iggy”, he said, pushing away his plate and looking guiltily at Ignis, who still wore a frown on his face but it was softer, more gentle and caring.

“It is quite alright. I’m sure Noctis will be more than willing to finish the Daggerquill for you.” He paused for a second, looking expectantly to Noctis who nodded. “Would you like something else?”

That wasn’t the issue. He didn’t want anything else. Prompto loved Daggerquill Rice, that’s why he had asked for it in the first place. Guilt was settling in his stomach, mixing with something else that he couldn’t place.

It drove him mad, fueled his anxiety and tried to convince him that Ignis didn’t want him around, that he’d preferred the time when it was just him and Noctis. After all, the weird feeling only ever showed up when he was around Ignis. Prompto was convinced that it was just Ignis oozing off the discontent and that he was just unconsciously picking it up.

 

That was the only explanation.

 

“Nah, I’m good. Thanks though, Iggy.” Prompto managed a shy smile and Ignis nodded, if hesitantly. He didn’t press the matter and Prompto really appreciated that about him. Prompto slowly pushed his plate over to Noctis who picked up the meat and hurried to replace it with his vegetables. Ignis huffed in disapproval.

“Noctis, please.” It was a futile attempt to get Noctis to eat his vegetables but somehow Ignis still hadn’t given up yet. Noctis grimaced and pushed the plate carrying his offending vegetables even further away. Prompto watched the entire scene with curiosity and a genuine smile spread on his face.

“I missed this”, he says after a while and it’s true. He had really missed this. “Sorry guys, I’ll try to not take evening shifts as often anymore, okay?”

“I’m glad you have found a way to express your passion. I won’t hold you back.” Ignis smiled, actually genuinely smiled, as he pointedly looked at his food seeming very concentrated on the contents of his fork. Noctis groaned. Prompto was confused.

“Thank you, Ignis” he replied and smiled at him, not having a fork to concentrate on. Noctis looked like he might throw up, which caused concern for Prompto.

“Noct, buddy, you ok?”

Noctis replied with another groan, rolling his eyes and continuing to eat his food. Weird. Really, really weird.

 

It was late into the night when Prompto decided that it was time for him to go home. He had another early shift at the photo studio the next day and he needed the extra sleep he would get by going to his own place, since it was closer to the studio. He also didn’t want to wake up either Noctis or Ignis at sunrise just to say goodbye or have them drive him there. That’d just be cruel.

So he said his goodbyes and walked over to the door to put on his shoes. He was halfway outside when Ignis spoke up to stop him.

“It is quite late already, Prompto. I will drive you home.”

Prompto’s stomach twisted and turned as he tried to come up with arguments to tell Ignis that it really wasn’t necessary. He would be okay, he knew how to defend himself, that’s what he’d been training for for the past few months.

He also wanted to tell Ignis that he’s probably the last person Prompto wanted to bring him home. Ignis still made his heart race, his hands sweaty and shaky, made his brain turn to goo and made his words all weird. Prompto didn’t say any of that though.

“Okay”, he said instead. Nailed it.

 

They drove in silence. It wasn’t the usual comfortable silence either, with Prompto shifting in his seat and keeping his gaze outside. Instead it was a painfully awkward silence with Ignis staring ahead, concentrating on the road.

Thankfully it wasn’t a long drive. Not really. It still felt like an eternity though.

Prompto kept fidgeting in his seat, unable to sit still and playing with his several wristbands. He felt like he might explode if he didn’t get the chance to move soon. He just needed to get away. It was almost painful to think that Ignis caused these feelings inside of him. The feeling of having to flee, of needing to run away, combined with the feeling of panic and dread. It was awful.

Somehow the hurt of the situation, added with everything else, made the mix so much worse, Prompto put his hands together, pressing until he had the half moon shapes imprinted on the outside of his skin. It was a grounding action, gave him something to concentrate on instead of the panic bubbling in his stomach and rising to his throat, trying to choke him. He almost forgot about Ignis’ presence in the car.

 

“We’re almost there”, Ignis said as if sensing his discomfort. He was obviously trying to sound reassuring, even gave Prompto one of his kind smiles but Prompto was beginning to hate them. He hated how Ignis was so careful around him, always considerate of his needs and all it did to Prompto was make him feel sick.

Instead of replying Prompto opted to just nod in response. Slowly he unfolded his hands and rested them on his thighs, willing himself to relax. He took a few deep breaths. Just a few more minutes. He could do this.

 

Finally Ignis pulled up to Prompto’s apartment. Even before he had fully stopped the car in the parking lot and killed the engine, Prompto was already climbing out of the car and into the cool night air.

Prompto knew that his behavior must be more than suspicious but he needed the air he could barely breathe. He could barely hear his own thoughts over the beating of his own heart. Thoughts and worries were thrashing in his head, leaving nothing but a tangled mess. Prompto took a few deep breaths, leaning against the side of the car and looking up to the night sky. It was too bad the light pollution made it impossible to see any stars.

Somewhere beside him Ignis cleared his throat, glancing a downright concerned, worried look at Prompto, who could feel his stomach sink down somewhere between his feet, hitting the cool damp ground.

 

“Prompto if I have made you uncomfortable, I truly apologize, it was not my intention.”

Ignis, bless his heart, seemed to think that this was all his fault even if it was clearly not. It was, once again, just Prompto’s brain being dumb, running wild and causing a mess. He was still recovering from not allowing himself anything; food, rest, pleasantries. For years he had been pushing himself past his limits and he still didn’t know how to place his _godsdamned_ emotions.

“Ignis.” His voice sounded strained, felt weird on his tongue and he honestly felt like he might throw up at any given moment now. This was the worst. What was he even trying to say here? ‘It’s not you, it’s me.’ Hah, yeah, right. Cliché much?

“Thanks for the ride home, I appreciate it.” And he did, because Insomnia could be scary at night, especially on public transport when all the drunks wanted to get home from whatever party it was they were attending.

Ignis put a hand on his lower arm, lingered and opened his mouth only to close it again. Prompto had never seen Ignis struggle for words. It was almost scary to see him like this.

 

“Do not worry, Prompto. It was my pleasure.” His hand was still lingering on Prompto. It was warm, Prompto could feel it through the thin fabric of his sweater. After what felt like an eternity, he finally pulled it away and gave Prompto an almost sad look.

“Good night Prompto”, he said before turning away and getting back into the car.

Prompto literally fled to the door and fumbled with his keys as he heard the car drive away. He dropped his keys more than once and cursed himself every time for his shaking fingers. Out of all the times his anxiety could act up, why did it have to be now?

After what felt like a million attempts, he finally opened the door and walked up the stairs to his small apartment only to almost drop the keys again as he tried to open the door. But then he was inside, closed the door behind himself and made a beeline for his bed, barely having the mind to kick off his shoes before he curled up and fell asleep.

_______________________________

 

The first thing Prompto did when he woke up in the morning was to text Gladio. Maybe that had been a mistake but he was convinced that Gladio was the one he needed to talk to about this. Gladio hadn’t been present in any of their dinners but they were close enough that he could rely on Gladio to give him solid advice.

Besides that Prompto also wanted to ask for private training sessions. Being used by Noctis to wipe the floor had truly hurt his ego. After all these months he had hoped to be better than this, especially since Cor usually trained him privately.

In the end they agreed to meet up right after Prompto’s shift ended to get some sparring in before his actual training started. He’d just have to tell his boss that he wouldn’t be able to stay overtime today.

_______________________________  


Training with Gladio was hell.

 

It was more than obvious that Gladio was going easy on him but Prompto still wasn’t able to land a single attack. None. This close combat training was truly the worst. He preferred his gun over anything else, keeping a distance, never close enough to be hit directly. But just in case… Just in case he still had to know how to stand his ground.

It also didn’t help in the least that he was unable to stop thinking about Ignis. Yesterday’s dinner had been hell. He couldn’t stop thinking about the way Ignis had offered him to prepare a different meal _again_ (he never went out of his way like this for Noctis) or the way his hand had lingered on his arm a second too long for it to be casual.

Eventually Prompto had ended up sprawled on the floor, breathing heavily with Gladio standing over him. Gladio sighed and sat down next to him, grinning. The concerned furrow of his brows gave him away though. It was a weird look on Gladio’s face.

 

“Spill it chocobo. I know there’s something going on in that thick skull of yours.” He leaned back on his arms, glancing over to Prompto. “And don’t say nothing’s going on, you were distracted this whole time. You’re not that bad usually.”

“Oh, well, thank you for the nice compliment”, Prompt replies while he was still catching his breath. There was no reason for him to snap at Gladio like that, he was just on edge. Still, he felt bad about it.

“Sorry.” Prompto let out a sigh, looking up to the high ceiling. His breathing slowly evened out and he was grateful that Gladio gave him so much time. He really didn’t give Gladio enough credit. There was no point in lying to Gladio. He was trying to help and Prompto trusted him. At the same time just the thought of telling him the truth made Prompto feel uneasiness creep up on him.

“I think my subconscious hates Ignis”, he finally admitted.

 

A pause followed that stretched on entirely too long to be comfortable before Gladio finally burst out laughing. After avoiding to look at Gladio this entire time, Prompto shot him an angry glare that would pierce right through him if Gladio hadn’t closed his eyes in laughter making him unable to see Prompto’s A+ death glare.

“No it doesn’t”, Gladio offered once he stopped laughing.

“Yes it does.”

“You’re so dumb.”

Prompto didn’t know if he should really be insulted but just in case he kept glaring at Gladio. If only he had kept his dumb mouth shut. He should’ve just kept going like it was, avoiding Ignis included, and continued with his fragile little life.

 

“What makes you think you hate Iggy?”

Oh that was an easy question to answer. There were plenty of things he could name right at the top of his head. In fact he had an entire mental list ready. He was thinking about Ignis a lot.

“Looking at him makes my stomach feel weird, like when I go into panic mode, he makes my hands shake and all sweaty, my heart beats faster when I’m around him and I want to just run away.” He thought for a second. “And he makes my brain go all weird. I just can’t talk around the guy.”

Gladio couldn’t help but stare for a second with an almost neutral expression. Almost. His face still shifted from shock to unbelieving to realization and then once again to laughter.

“You’re not helping.”

Gladio wiped the tears from his eyes and slowly caught his breath again. Prompto was still lying on his back, feeling vulnerable on the cold ground but he still offered Gladio one of his best scowls.

“Sorry, I just can’t believe you’re actually serious about this.”

Prompto stared at him without replying. He was waiting for the other to continue. The regret still settled heavy in his stomach and he really didn’t feel like talking anymore.

“Shit, you’re actually serious?”

Gladio’s grin disappeared when he finally realized that Prompto wasn’t joking. That he was seriously worried. Prompto had thought about this a lot and to him the conclusion just made sense. It was the only thing that made sense about this.

“Okay, listen”, Gladio tried again, rubbing one of his hands along the back of his neck while looking at anything but Prompto. “You’re not scared of him.”

“But, dude, listen, they’re the same symptoms as my… You know the fear thing? It’s the _same_.” The look of sincerity almost made Gladio laugh again. But he didn’t. He wanted to actually help Prompto figure this out.

 

“Prompto”, he started again, tried to regain his composure and let out a sigh. “Prompto what you’re feeling isn’t anxiety. It’s  a crush. You have a crush on Ignis.”

Now it was Prompto’s turn to burst out laughing. A crush? On Ignis? Ridiculous. But on the other hand… maybe not as ridiculous as being scared of him? As hating him? As soon as the laughter had started, it disappeared again, abruptly.

“Oh shit.”

Prompto stared at the ceiling again as panic slowly crept into his entire being, filled him up until he was sure he would suffocate, but he didn’t. Of course. It all made sense now. All this time he’d wanted nothing more than to be close to Ignis, to be seen as an equal, as someone Ignis could actually like instead of pity. He’d wanted to see that genuine smile spread across Ignis’ lips. Prompto wanted to see him happy.

 

He had a crush on Ignis.

 

With a start he sat up, jumped to his feet and stared at Gladio with tears gathering in his eyes. First the panic, now overwhelming sadness was filling him up. It was too much and his brain couldn’t keep up with the rapid mood swings so he did what any other person in his situation would do: He cried.

Gladio slowly got up from the floor, walking up to Prompto and making sure the other could expect being touched. He’d learned before that sudden embraces only made everything worse. Gladio extended a hand to rest on Prompto’s shoulder before pulling the smaller boy closer to him and pressing him against his chest, embracing him in a tight bear hug.

“Hey, don’t cry.” Gladio wasn’t used to this. This was weird. Seeing the actual sunshine of their group this upset set something off in Gladio that could only be described as the Big Brother Instincts. He wanted Prompto to smile again.

“I’m gonna call Cor and tell him you’re not feeling well. Let’s go watch a shitty movie.”

At first Prompto just stood there, buried against Gladio and sobbing his heart out but soon enough he nodded, letting himself be dragged to the locker room and shoved into the shower while Gladio made a phonecall.

_______________________________

 

Prompto was at work when he thought about it. The possibility of Ignis liking him back. Gladio had said that he was too dumb to use his eyes properly, which gave him some hope. People usually said that when there was hope, right? Gladio had always been all tough love and that was exactly what Prompto needed right now: Someone who told him he was dumb and overthinking everything.

He’d mistaken his crush for anxiety. Way to go Prompto. A+.

And now he was thinking about the possibility of Ignis liking him back. Maybe if he confessed to Ignis it wouldn’t just end up being a big disaster. That’d be nice.

 

“--mpto.” He looked up from his computer, slowly, blinking once, twice, gods he was hungry. Had completely forgotten about breakfast with all his thinking but he didn’t really mind that. At least he’d stay thin.

“Hey, earth to Prompto!” His boss was looking at him with a weird mixture of annoyance and concern. “You look like shit.”

“Well, thank you.” He grinned lazily and looked up at her. “Sorry, I was spacing out a bit. What’s up?” He was trying his best to sound casual but the news that he apparently really fucking liked Ignis was still fresh and occupying every free space in his brain.

“What’s on your mind? You can’t work like this.” She pointed at his desktop where he had photoshop opened but no file yet. He’d been staring at the blank screen for about 15 minutes. Prompto groaned. He really didn’t want to have this conversation right now. Or ever, if he was being honest.

“Just … a lot”, he sighed, rubbing his eyes and finally opening the picture he wanted to edit. He was hoping the conversation would be over with that but apparently not.

“I can see that.” She huffed, resting her hands on her hips and shooting him the most motherly frown he had ever seen. “It’s okay sweetpea, just go home. Your shift’s almost over anyway.” She patted his shoulder, nudging him to get up. “I’m not gonna cut your pay because of that, I’m not heartless.”

 

He smiled at her, nodding and closing the program even though he had gotten done basically nothing. “Thanks Margie, you’re the best”, he said as he got up from the desk, grabbed his bag and made to leave the studio. “Promise, I’ll make it up to you.”

“Just take care of that crush of yours”, she said and before he could reply anything, she’d shoved him out of the door. Was he really that obvious? He frowned as he made his way back home. Cor had given him another week off so he didn’t really have to be anywhere. In a flash of courage he decided to text Iggy. Maybe they could grab coffee somewhere. Ignis worked too much anyway.

 

The thought of spending time with Ignis alone made Prompto fidgety again but at least now he knew that it wasn’t because Prompto hated him. Quite the opposite actually.

 

     wanna ditch his royal pain in the ass and get coffee? my treat

 

_Don’t you have a job you should be attending right now?_

 

     naaaaah

     got the day off ;)

 

_Alright. Do you remember the coffee shop at the citadel? I should be free in about an hour. See you there?_

 

     nah you only talk about it like all the time

     sure see you there :D

 

Prompto put his phone away before he could read Ignis’ reply and then continued to basically run the rest of the way home. He had to make himself look presentable, tame his hair somehow and pick out a nice shirt. At the same time he had to look like he wasn’t trying to impress Ignis.

It had been a lot easier back when he didn’t know that he had a crush on Ignis. Avoiding him and feeling bad about it was overall a lot easier than facing his feelings and hoping Ignis would return them.

 

When had he even started liking Ignis? He knew that at first it really had been anxiety. The seemingly perfect man had the tendency to drive Prompto insane. His perfectionism had showed Prompto all the things he hated about himself. First and foremost his body. Ignis always looked good, always was spotless and perfect without even trying. He was thin and muscular while Prompto still couldn’t get rid of that little bit of fat at his stomach. He’d tried, really. Just thinking about their differences made him dread lunch, or dinner, or any food, really. Old habits really did die hard.

Prompto thought to himself that maybe it had all started when Ignis went out of his way to cater to his culinary needs. Unlike anyone else he seemed to make a conscious effort to help him while never pushing the topic. Ignis had never asked about it and Prompto was incredibly grateful for that.

He thought that he was already helplessly in love with Ignis by the time the other had started teaching him to take care of himself. When Ignis had praised him for finishing a meal, when he was proud of Prompto for taking home the leftovers. Honestly, it was stupid. To think that he fell for Ignis because the other had shown him kindness and understanding. To think that Ignis would ever fall for him, see him as an equal when he couldn’t even take care of himself.

He wasn’t worthy of Ignis, no matter how he looked at it. Shit. He’d just found out about his crush and he was already hating himself for it. Ignis deserved better than him. Gladio maybe or even Noctis. But him? No.

In the end he spent too long in front of his mirror, trying to tame his hair, trying to will away the puffy eyes and cheeks from almost crying in stress. He didn’t have time to pick out a fancy outfit but was he even really trying to impress Ignis? Would he try? What if it worked and Ignis somehow, due to some miracle, felt the same about him? Ignis was the royal advisor and Prompto just a regular no name commoner. They couldn’t be together! He was sure there was a law against this. He was also pretty sure that seducing the royal advisor was a felony. He didn’t want to find out if he was right.

 

Before Prompto walked into the coffee shop he made an effort to straighten his white shirt (it had a light grey star pattern) and checked for the millionth time if his blue jeans were really stain free. You just never knew with public transport. Everything seemed to be in order though, so he opened the glass door leading into the fancy coffee shop and immediately spotted the other sitting in the far corner at the window.

A waitress was coming for him and Prompto politely informed her that he would join Ignis at the table. She nodded and left him be before he finally walked over to Ignis. It was a short distance but Prompto felt like it stretched on forever. And then suddenly he was there, standing awkwardly at the second chair and looked at Ignis, who looked as stunning as always.

Before he could completely make a fool of himself, Prompto sat down at the very comfortable chair. He offered Ignis a shy smile, trying to will his nervousness away but it didn’t help in the slightest. His was fidgeting again and rubbed his sweaty hands on his pants. This was a bad idea.

“Prompto, are you alright?”

Maybe he was a bit pale yeah, but at the same time he could feel his face heat up, could feel the colour seeping into his cheeks and ears. He wanted to get away. He wanted to flee the humiliation, the embarrassment, and hide under the covers of his bed.

“Yeah, sure.”

Ignis dropped the topic for now, opting to instead glance at Prompto every now and then as he waited for the waitress to come over and take their order.

Prompto had promised to pay for them but he knew next to nothing about coffee so he was content with Ignis ordering for both of them. Ignis knew what he liked anyway, especially that Prompto usually wasn’t a big coffee drinker in the first place.

He ordered a fancy dark coffee for himself and tea for Prompto.

 

They sat in silence for a few minutes just enjoying their drinks and stealing glances at eachother. They were painfully obvious to anyone around them. If Prompto just ignored the rapid beating of his heart he might even be able to relax. The way Ignis looked at him though, from the corner of his eye, made him melt into the chair. He’d end up fusing with the soft fabric, never able to leave again.

 

“Are you still planning to come over for Dinner today, Prompto?”

The way Ignis said his name made Prompto’s heart stop for a second. He couldn’t believe how he’d never noticed until now, that Ignis’ voice made him feel safe and warm, at home almost.

“If you want me to? Sure.”

Since he was back on his forced vacation again, he hadn’t exactly planned to just drop by and steal some of Noct’s food. If Ignis invited him though? His stomach made excited jumps down in his gut and he didn’t know if he wanted to scream with joy or throw up. Neither was probably the best option.

“I would be delighted.”

Prompto was pretty sure that his heart stopped beating. He’s pretty sure he stopped breathing too and he felt his cheeks heating up again. His face was resembling a very certain vegetable but it was okay. He’s cool.

“Okay.”

His voice resembled more of a squeak but Ignis didn’t comment on it. Instead he offered one of his kind smiles, nodded and went back to his coffee.

 

Prompto slowly calmed down again, not at last due to the passionflower tea sitting in front of him, which is known for it’s calming nature. Ignis knew him too well, he realized in the span of less than a second. Ignis probably knew him better than he himself did and an overwhelming moment of realization washed over him that he was really, truly, head over heels in love with Ignis.

Shit.

Prompto didn’t notice that something was wrong until Ignis got up from his chair to walk around the table and kneel on the floor beside him. Prompto decided right then and there that he never wanted Ignis to wear such a worried expression ever again and he wondered at the same time what might have caused it so he could make it stop.

“Prompto, what’s wrong, why are you crying?”

 

Oh. Well, that explained the expression.

 

Prompto hurried to wipe at his face but now that he was aware he was crying, he wasn’t able to stop it. He tried to wipe the tears away, to think of something happy, but Ignis occupied every part of his mind. Ignis was a happy thought, he’d always been there for him, offered quiet encouragement, and Prompto was so damn grateful that it hurt.

Maybe the hurt was caused by the sudden realization that Ignis was too good for him, that Ignis will never see something in Prompto that would be worth loving. He couldn’t be equal to Ignis if he was such a mess. The thought broke his heart and he kept sobbing in the far corner of the coffee shop. If he wasn’t this upset he’d be embarrassed.

 

Ignis carefully reached up to take Prompto’s hands away from his face and looked up at him like a mother to her crying child. Which caused another sob to erupt from him. Prompto was sure that was all Ignis would ever be able to see in him. A helpless child, unable to care for himself, crying in a coffee shop.

But Ignis lowered his hands, taking Prompto’s with them, and rested them on his thighs. Prompto’s hands balled up into fists. He was just so frustrated with himself. He’d wanted to look nice and show Ignis that he was grown up, that he was able to take care of himself, that he was equal, that he could be something worth loving.

Yet here he was, crying his heart out, surrounded by strangers who must certainly be staring by now. Ignis didn’t seem to care. He just reached up a hand to rest on Prompto’s cheek and his breath catches in his throat when Ignis gently wipes away his tears.

 

Prompto was too lost in his own head to notice the waitress coming over and Ignis calmly apologizing while paying the bill before he gently tugged Prompto to his feet and lead him outside. They walked for a few minutes with Prompto still quietly sobbing before they sat down on a park bench. It was quiet and secluded, hidden by trees and bushes. No one seemed to be around at this time either. Ignis was too good for him.

Ignis went back to holding Prompto’s hands in his own, rubbing in soothing circling motions with his thumb. Ignis looked like he was expecting the worst news of his entire life, like Prompto might have an incurable illness. Could a crush be considered an incurable illness? Maybe Ignis wasn’t too far off.

 

“‘M sorry”, Prompto mumbled when he finally trusted his voice enough again to talk, if barely. He sounded quiet and weak, not like himself at all.

Ignis shook his head, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, barely visible, as he continued to rub circles into Prompto’s hands. It gave Prompto something to concentrate on while he tried to even out his breathing. He felt gross and tired.

 

“It’s alright.” Ignis voice was uncharacteristically quiet, almost strained and it sent another wave of guilt down Prompto’s spine.

“Just, please, tell me what is bothering you so much?”

Gods bless Ignis. Prompto didn’t know what he’d do without the other. Well, obviously he wouldn’t be in this situation but that wasn’t what mattered right now. He swallowed once, twice, took a few steadying breaths before he decided that it couldn’t get any worse than this. If Ignis hated him after his confession then that was just what he deserved.

 

“Iggy, I’m…”

He didn’t know how to say it. He knew the words but he couldn’t put them together. Serious talks had never come easy to him and it all got worse when Ignis was around but he didn’t want to joke about this. Couldn’t joke about this. A part of him wanted to start in the very beginning, wanted to start the story at his high school days, while another part of him just wanted to pull Ignis close and press a gross kiss to his lips.

None of this seemed to be the correct approach.

“I…” he started again, pausing for a second before he took another breath. Okay. All or nothing. Fast and hopefully painless, like ripping off a bandaid.

 

“Ikindareallylikeyou.”

 

It came out as one word, all jumbled together, and Prompto can’t tell if the changing expression on Ignis face is surprise of shock but he didn’t want to stay around to find out. He tried to stand up, tried to pry his hands away but Ignis didn’t let him.

“No way.”

If Prompto hadn’t seen Ignis right in front of him he would’ve never guessed that it was him talking. Ignis speaking so casual made the whole situation so much more surreal, almost like a dream, or a nightmare.

“What an asshole.”

Okay, no, Prompto was 100% convinced that he was dreaming because Ignis didn’t _swear_. It just didn’t happen. Ever. He didn’t get a chance to test his theory though because Ignis pulled him closer by his wrists and wrapped his arms tightly around Prompto’s upper body. Ignis… was hugging him? Before Prompto can even begin to comprehend what was happening and actually react and hug him back, Ignis is already drawing back and looking at him. There was water gathering in his eyes. Oh shit.

 

“Ignis I’m sorry I swear I won’t make this weird please don’t hate me.”

The words left his mouth before he could stop them, before he could actually think about them. Fear drove him to pull his hands out of Ignis’ gentle grasp and put a few centimetres between them. This time Ignis let him. He must have thought that Prompto was gross, that’s why he didn’t hold him back, but to Prompto’s surprise Ignis just looked at him in absolute bewilderment.

 

Then it seemed like time was slowing down as Ignis reached one of his hands out to Prompto, settling on his shoulder at first and then traveling higher until he cupped his face. With a single gentle motion of his thumb, Ignis wiped away a single stray tear before leaning closer until their breaths were mingling between them. He stopped only a few centimetres from Prompto’s face, keeping his eyes closed and brows furrowed in concentration. As if he had to force himself to stop.

“Prompto, may I?”

He didn’t have to specify. Prompto knew exactly what Ignis was asking, had dreamt of this moment since the second Gladio had talked sense into him. Maybe even before that.

Prompto nodded slowly, scared that if he moved too fast the dream would disappear and he’d wake up in his room and stare up at the blank ceiling. Prompto closed his eyes and waited for Ignis to close the distance between them. He barely managed to keep down the yelp when he finally feels Ignis’ soft lips connect with his own.

 

They were exactly like Prompto had imagined. Soft, gentle, warm, so much unlike his chapped lips but also so much better than he’d ever dared to dream.

Ignis was just pressing their lips together, careful not to overstep yet unknown boundaries but when he tried to pull away Prompto lifted his own hands, buried them in Ignis hair and pulled him close again, their lips not yet meeting. He kept his eyes closed, almost crying again with the overwhelming feelings running wild in him.

“Please”, he whined, “I’m not ready to wake up yet.”

Ignis let out a soft laugh. Prompto could feel the air hit his face. They were so close, closer than Prompto had ever dared to be with someone.

“I assure you, neither am I.”

Prompto opened his eyes slowly, still convinced he was dreaming, but when he looked ahead Ignis was still there, looking at him and smiling. A sob left Prompto before he put his arms around Ignis’ neck, closing the distance between them and placing hundreds, thousands of little kisses along Ignis’ lips and jaw, his entire face.

“In case you were unconvinced, dear”, Prompto’s heart almost jumped out of his chest at the nickname, “I also kinda really like you.”

Prompto looked up at Ignis in stunned silence. They were both smiling at eachother, followed by carefree laughter, their foreheads resting together.

“I should repay that coffee”, Prompto finally said between fits of laughter. “I totally didn’t keep my promise today, so how about same time tomorrow?”

 

Ignis took a moment to decide, conjuring up his mental schedule before deciding that he’d gladly wipe clean the entire day for Prompto. He knew that he couldn’t exactly do that but he could always try. He nodded, pressing a quick kiss to Prompto’s forehead.

“Of course. For you I always make time.”

_______________________________

 

Later in the day, after an awkward dinner with Noctis and Ignis, when he’s already lying in bed and grinning, he sent a single text to Gladio.

 

_Thanks_.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, the "asshole" Ignis is talking about is Gladio.
> 
> \- - -
> 
> find me on tumblr!  
>  [@schattenlurch](https://www.schattenlurch.tumblr.com)   
>  [@stubsel](https://www.stubsel.tumblr.com)


End file.
